-I don't live here. I live between here and Columbia. An assumption on your part.

-The BBB is a joke and I've found the GoBN in JC (and Osage Co.) provide much less professional service than elsewhere in the area and when I spend $ in Columbia I'm keeping it in my county.

-I DO have an adequate circle of friends with similar interests who are primarily transplants as I am and do NOT need a church for such.

-By the tone of your comment I can't get over the suspicion you're really a local on the defensive posing as a transplant who is the one in need of a thicker skin when it comes to anyone criticizing your beloved town.

Well I see a couple of comments sort of get it. And taxes nor lack of sprawl are what's keeping young people, especially those not from this area, from putting down permanent roots here.
As an outsider who started working for the state when it was a more attractive proposition with at least benefits, I can tell you what the locals either don't see or like the way it is, is that JC is flat out one of the most clannish areas anywhere.
If you're not an umpteenth generation Osage/Cole County German Catholic native you will always be an outsider looking into the JC area community from the outside no matter how many years you live here. A good example--if you're not part of the local area good ol' boy network good luck getting any honest decent service such as on your car or home.
And now the largest employer in JC, the state, is making it less and less attractive to either start or remain a state employee especially with the constant whittling away of benefits and general hostility from the governor, his appointed department heads and assorted henchmen, and this legislature.
It's little wonder those of us long-time state employees not native to JC tend to stick together and spend much of our time and $ elsewhere.

And yet the Chiefs who haven't won a playoff game in nearly two decades have almost zero chance of getting in the playoffs this year while the odds are good the Packers can get to the Superbowl again.
Go Packers!

And we also have the "most dangerous city" (St. Louis), the most meth labs, the dubious honor of being known as the "puppy mill" state, and the lowest paid state employees in the nation. Is there anything my home state ranks highly in it can be proud of?
Instead of bringing in any new revenue in any shape or form, our braintrust in Mordor (the State House) and Isengard (the Governor's Mansion) keep cutting and cutting and won't be happy until this state reaches third world status. An abundance of low-wage, low-benefit jobs seems to be the main agenda.
The cuts to Mental Health alone are only going to drag us further down the drain. Unattended mental health issues are among the leading sources for crime, poverty, and homelessness.
Wasn't there even an attempt on Nixon's life by a seriously mentally ill individual in the KC area? Keep up the austerity folks and headlines like these will become then norm.

It seems to me the REAL heroes in this case are the folks at Planned Parenthood who provide women's health, education, and unwanted pregnancy prevention. Planned Parenthood likely prevents far more abortions than all the "pro-life" protestors combined.
And if you're a typical conservative, pro-war, pro-death penalty, and oppose social safety nets, you're only 'anti-abortion', not really "pro-life".

"Nixon’s budget director says the administration hopes to privatize some of the jobs."

And where will the $ come from the pay for that? All privatization of basic governmental functions has EVER done is cost more $ but it shows up as fewer employees on the state payroll so the ever so wise governor can say "look at how I down-sized government".